11/30/2011

Sakura Wars The Movie Limited Edition Review

Sakura Wars The Movie Limited Edition
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This is a pretty cute show. It has excellent animation, a good story, and good music. My beef with it is that the show ends after a couple of episodes--it just stops.
This is an OVA, and the Sakura Wars TV series comes after it. And both come after the game.
I think I should have had a little knowledge of the games before I watched this, since it just picked up with the Demons. It didn't give ANY background on the Demons at all, which had me lost for the first episode or two. But as it went along I stopped worrying about how and why the Demons existed/were there and focused on the show itself.
The dubbing in both versions is top notch. I personally prefer the English version. Since the girls are from various countries, not just Japan, they cannot be expected to speak Japanese all that well, and without an accent.But in the English, we get to hear the girls in their "native" tongues and with "native" accents. What I mean is this: The French girl *sounds* French (and she even speaks in French when we first meet her). The Russian Maria has a definitive Russian accent, which comes across very well even though we never get to hear her speak in Russian. And the Chinese teenager talks with a Chinese accent, and also speaks in Chinese.
So, watch this. You won't regret doing so, but you might want to watch the TV series just to get a little better idea of what is going on. Or get (or at least see) the games.

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The Imperial Fighting Troupe is called again to defend Tokyo against the demons. However, this time, the Douglas-Stewart Company is selling a new type of Fighting mecha that will revolutionize Japan's defense. A superior fighting machine that willmake the Flower Division obsolete. However, the girls suspect something when members of their team begin to vanish. But what can they do when their division has been placed on indefinite stand-by status? Comes with Reversible DVD Cover. Features English 5.1 Dolby Digital & Dolby Surround, Japanese 5.1 Dolby Digital & Dolby Surround, and Anamorphic Video. Special edition also includes Mini-Pencil Board Set.

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Eccentricities of a Nightingale (Broadway Theatre Archive) (1976) Review

Eccentricities of a Nightingale (Broadway Theatre Archive)  (1976)
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Thank Heaven for Broadway Theatre Archive. For the past few years, the company has been releasing older television productions of great stage works, as well as a select number of theatrically staged videos (such as the Shakespeare-in-the-Park productions of "King Lear" with James Earl Jones and "The Pirates of Penzance" with Kevin Kline and Linda Ronstadt). Some of these television productions are truly legendary: Jason Robards in "The Iceman Cometh," and Robards and Colleen Dewhurst in the landmark production of "A Moon for the Misbegotten." The present DVD edition of Tennessee Williams' "Eccentricities of a Nightingale" deserves to join their ranks.
"Nightingale" is Williams' revision of 1948's "Summer and Smoke" (my favorite Williams play, incidentally). It tells essentially the same story of the spinsterish minister's daughter whose consuming love for her next-door neighbor remains unreciprocated. "Nightingale" is less allegorical than its predecessor and more tightly focused on the fascinating central character of Alma Winemiller, who Williams once claimed was his favorite character of all those that he had written.
All the roles in this production are in eminently capable hands, with particular pride of place among the supporting players going to Louise Latham as the mentally unbalanced Mrs. Winemiller, Tim O'Connor as Alma's well-intentioned but misguided father, and Neva Patterson as the two-faced Mrs. Buchanan, oozing both Southern charm and venom. As the object of Alma's affections, Frank Langella plays the most warm and romantic John Buchanan I have ever seen. Other Johns have seemed cocky or cold, but Langella seems to genuinely care about Alma rather than merely tolerating her. Played like this, it is quite easy to see how Alma could fall in love with him.
However, this is Alma's show, and in that role Blythe Danner is a raw, exposed nerve-ending, alternating between lyric melancholy and barely concealed hysteria. It is an exquisitely shaded performance, full of rich colors and nuance, and it is on a par with the sublime Geraldine Page's performance of the same role in the film version of "Summer and Smoke." Both actresses capture the character's need to burst forth from her own skin, of being strait-jacketed by the social mores of the period, and of being on the precipice of a dangerous emotional drop-off point. If Page owned the role of Alma in "Summer and Smoke," Danner clearly owns the Alma of "Eccentricities." She is simply stunning.
Don't expect stunning picture quality -- the production was filmed in 1976 on video, so it is roughly akin to watching a mid-1970's soap opera. However, the performances are what matter here, and they truly deliver. If you love Tennessee Williams, Blythe Danner, or if you simply enjoy great drama, don't let this one pass you by.

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Tony Award-winning actress, Blythe Danner, portrays the sensitive spinster Alma Winemiller in Tennessee Williams' 1948 drama. Frustrated with longing for the socially prominent young doctor next door, the eccentric, highly emotional minister's daughter decides to settle for one night with him in a rented hotel room. The Washington Post wrote: "Blythe Danner's Alma is as much of a television event as Katharine Hepburn's Amanda in The Glass Menagerie. Frank Langella is such a warm, dreamy-eyed Dr. Buchanan that the role is reimbursed for the loss of its cynical edge with a smooth romanticism that complements Danner's determined honesty splendidly." "How many different emotions do you expect in two hours?" --The New York Daily News. With Tim O'Connor, Louise Latham, and Neva Patterson.

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A Very British Coup (1988) Review

A Very British Coup (1988)
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I first saw this video on public television about 10 years ago - I was amazed. I still find it exciting and flawless even though true socialistic ideology is outdated. I liked it so much that I actually paid [the money] for the 3 part video (two cassettes) when it was first released.
I've also read the book by Chris Mullin but found the video to be superior; Harry Perkins is a more witty and affable character.
A correction to the previous review by Mr. Daley: Ray McAnally WAS cast in at least two Hollywood movies; One of them being "My Left Foot" with Daniel Day Lewis. Ray McAnally was an excellent actor, just starting to reach a peak in his career. I was sorry to hear that he died.

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A VERY BRITISH COUP The taut, powerful, all-too-plausible story about a democracy attacked from within When plain-spoken, charismatic former steelworker Harry Perkins becomes prime minister in a landslide Labour Party victory, his socialist agenda horrifies the entrenched ruling class and the right-wing media. As Perkins presses ahead with plans to close down U.S. military bases, break up newspaper monopolies and dismantle British nuclear weapons, the establishment and its American allies conspire in a brutal back-room struggle to regain control. Starring Ray McAnally (A Perfect Spy, My Left Foot), this PBS Masterpiece Theatre miniseries won an International Emmy Award, three top British television awards and the Banff Television Festival grand prize. DVD SPECIAL FEATURES INCLUDE • interview with author Chris Mullin• full-color insert with character glossary• cast and crew filmographies

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Uncommon Women and Others (Broadway Theatre Archive) (1979) Review

Uncommon Women and Others (Broadway Theatre Archive)  (1979)
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Wendy Wasserstein's debut play, directed by Merrily Mossman and Steven Robman, is brought to hilarious life in this finely cast production starring Swoosie Kurtz, Jill Eikenberry, and Meryl Streep. Setting the play in 1970 at Mount Holyoke College, Wasserstein focuses on six young women who are about to graduate and go out into a world newly sensitized to feminist goals. Caught between traditional values of home, hearth, and finding a husband, and sexual liberation, women's liberation, and personal liberation, these women are on the cusp of a whole new way of life. The play opens a few years after graduation as the women meet to reminisce about their lives in college, where "milk-and-crackers" teas and "gracious living" have dominated.
Filmed on location, the play dramatically illustrates every aspect of life in a women's college in 1970. An Emily Dickinson-reading "housemother" works to make these students into "ladies" while they explore options never before open to them. Both sympathetic and satiric, the author also includes discussions of Women's History courses, snapshots of Father-Daughter Weekend, and interactions among the various women as they explore who they are and who they will become. Swoosie Kurtz, as Rita, is the dominant figure in the action, a promiscuous and iconoclastic woman who wants to write the great American novel and who refuses to bend to convention.
In contrast to her is Streep, playing a minor role as Leilah, a shy student who plans to study anthropology in Iraq after graduation. Other characters include Jill Eikenberry, as Kate, who plans to attend law school; Ann McDonough as Samantha, who is in love and believes her primary role is to be as wife and mother; Alma Cuervo as Holly Kaplan, who is not sure what she wants her role to be; and Ellen Parker as Muffet, who becomes "partly liberated" but has yet to define her ultimate goals. Throughout the play, the voice of Anthony Scourby narrates a promotional film for the college, illustrating the gap between what is real (as we see it onstage) and what is ideal (as we hear the college PR).
Wonderfully poignant pictures of the social, sexual, and personal conflicts faced by these bright students in 1970 evolve as the students fumblingly make the transition between traditional expectations and unlimited possibilities. The humor is broad but to the point, and anyone who has attended a similar college in the same time period will identify with the conflicts experienced by these "uncommon women" on the cusp of true "liberation." Mary Whipple


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Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning playwright Wendy Wasserstein's first play. At a reunion seven years after their graduation from Mount Holyoke College, five former classmates assess whether they have achieved their youthful goals. In a flashback, the women, all part of a group dubbed "uncommon"--because they were expected to be "amazing" before they reached 30--relive their senior year and examine the influences that shaped them. "A remarkable first play by Wendy Wasserstein." --The New York Post.With Meryl Streep, Jill Eikenberry, Swoosie Kurtz, Ann McDonough, and Alma Cuervo.

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Romeo & Juliet (1993) Review

Romeo and Juliet (1993)
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As other people have observed about other videos in this collection, this isn't high quality in terms of the video tape. But the performance itself, which is basically a tape of play is a sound version of Romeo and Juliet. This time, they set it in more modern times, ladies are in evening dresses for example, but the dialogue is unchanged really. There are some good and not so good performances. The leading man does a good job as Romeo, though I prefered his dramatic scenes to his romantic ones. I felt the leading lady was very finicky in the role and very dramatic, perhaps too dramatic. She didn't seem to me like a teenager. Otherwise, Juliet's father and Romeo's best friend Mercutio I believe are both splendid. If you are just interested in viewing different Romeo and Juliet videos, this is fine, but the other versions, the 1960's version, the 1930's version and even the newer version are just as good or better in other ways. I've watched them all, and this version does hold up to the others, more or less

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11/29/2011

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Extended Version with 13 Minutes of Footage Not Shown in Theaters) (2002) Review

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Extended Version with 13 Minutes of Footage Not Shown in Theaters) (2002)
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"The Chamber of Secrets" novel in the Harry Potter series is generally considered the weakest of J. K. Rowling's books - it does not have the joyful discovery of "Philosopher's Stone", the dark twists of "Prisioner of Azkaban" or the epic nature of "Goblet of Fire", but is simply a very good story. However, I predict its relative simplicity will make "Chamber of Secrets" the most successful book-to-movie translation in the series, as it is undoubtably better than the first movie, and it will be a daunting task for film-makers to tackle the intricate plot lines of book three and the collosal book four.
Like all the books, "Chamber" begins midway through the summer as Harry's twelfth birthday is nearing, and again he faces a rather dismal one in the company of his horrible uncle, aunt and cousin. Excitement is already on the move however, as when Harry enters his bedroom the house elf Dobby is waiting for him, who warns him that under no circumstances is he to return to Hogwarts, where a great danger is waiting for him.
But return he does, after being rescued from his family by the Weasley family and the now-famous flying blue Ford Angelia, and indeed finds what Dobby promised - something is stalking the halls of Hogwarts, putting all the students in great danger. Taking it upon himself to save his beloved home Harry and his friends Ron and Hermione seek out the clues, and find themselves facing a terrible evil. In a story filled with giant spiders, savage willow trees, magical swords, disembodied voices, mysterious diaries, glorious phoenixes, flying cars and Quidditch matches, the action and excitement doesn't let up until the ending credits.
Once again Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson return as the three main protagonists, and I'm glad to say that while their acting was a little awkward in the first movie (understandable for newcomers) they've mellowed out and are much more natural with their characters and each other. Under-rated actor Tom Felton is again wickedly good, and Maggie Smith (McGonagall), Robbie Coltrane (Hagrid) and Alan Rickman (Snape) roll out brilliant performances. Unfortunatly I can't say the same for Richard Harris - Dumbledore in my mind is an elderly yet lively and energetic man, yet here I was petrified he was going to kneel over any second.
The best part of any sequel in a series is the myraid of new characters to see, including the afore mentioned Dobby, the mysterious and sinister Tom Riddle, the narcissic Gilderoy Lockhart (played with great pizzazz by Kenneth Branaugh), and pompous Cornelius Fudge, and more of the Weasley family - more from Julie Walters as Molly Weasley, an introduction to Arthur Weasley, and from George, Fred and (especially) Ginny.
Three performances stick out though: Lucius Malfoy was great - cold, calm and elegant, this guy just *oozed* sinister charm, Moaning Myrtle, with her high-pitched sobs and shrieks was an unexpected surprise and Colin Creevy, the forerunner to Book Four's reporter Rita Skeeter and J. K. Rowling's dig at the media was a small, but essential gem, and I love that split-second scene of horror on his face as the runaway Buldger hurtles towards him!
Finally the sets, costumes and props are lovely, but the special effects are only so-so. The Quidditch game (again more visually exciting than any written account) is very good, as is the 'monster in the chamber', but the phoenix, spiders and Dobby could have used some tweaking.
All in all, a fun, interesting, colourful, sometimes-scary, and faithful adaptation to a beloved book, that (along with the Two Towers) brought 2002 to a fantasy-filled climax in the movie industry.

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The extended version of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets includes 13 minutes of footage not shown in theaters!
Cars fly, trees fight back and a mysterious house-elf comes to warn Harry Potter at the start of the second year of his amazing journey into the world of wizardry. This year at Hogwarts, spiders talk, letters scold and Harry's own unsettling ability to speak to snakes turns his friends against him. From Duelling Clubs to rogue Bludgers, it's a year of adventure and danger when bloody writing on a wall announces: The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. To save Hogwarts will require all of Harry, Ron and Hermione's magical abilities and courage in this spellbinding adaption of J.K. Rowling's second book. Get ready to be amused and petrified as Harry Potter shows he's more than a wizard, he's a hero!

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Heat (1964) Review

Heat (1964)
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Upal (The Heat) is a Polish comedy that strongly uses ridiculous situations to create a fairly funny and entertaining movie. The premier asks two older men to watch the city during his absence. The men are entertainers, a poet and a composer, who know nothing of politics. They cannot refuse the premier so they accept his offer.
They set off to work in the uniforms provided, three-piece suits with top hats, to find the city in a heat wave. As they inspect the city, they meet a few men and women who all will play a role in the interconnected storyline. There is a blonde woman is followed by flocks of men who are seemingly hypnotized by her appearance. The woman working in the dinner has the eye of three men, including a diplomat from a foreign land who is offended there was no one to greet him when he arrived in the city. To top it off, a bus of nurses comes to the city to help the people suffering from the heat. Although it might not appear like they are all connected, they actually are.
Upal was filmed in 1964, but its setting is a decade or two older. All in all, the setting creates a very unique feeling that works well with the story. This is only complimented by the music, which includes the older gentlemen singing songs from time to time while the screen freezes.
Upal is a film that plays upon the ridiculous and silly to make an entertaining film. The older gentlemen work their way out of a several difficulties and provide us with more than a couple laughs along the way. Although the events in the story are far from reality, it's a fun movie. Forget your troubles and step back in time to an earlier era with Upal.


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Step back in time for this taste of comedy from another era. Based on the old Polish variety theater called Kabaret Starszych Panow, or "The Old Gentlemen’s Cabaret," this cult comedy classic is renowned for its slapstick gags and absurd humor. Two entertainers in top hats and tails wreak havoc around town as they search for a venue for their "talents." The loose structure is an excuse for a collection of old-style comedy sketches, songs, and jokes from the old Polish cabaret scene. HEAT is a departure for Kazimierz Kutz, a renowned director of serious drama who began his long career as part of the famed Polish School of the 1950s.

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Scarlet Pimpernel: Literary Masterpieces (1982) Review

Scarlet Pimpernel: Literary Masterpieces  (1982)
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My sister has raved about this film for as long as I can remember. When I failed to find it in our local video store, she told me not to worry, as she had recently bought it and would lend it to me. Well, having now seen the film, I can understand why she raved about it. It is a vastly entertaining film, filled with a smattering of history, swashbuckling action, political intrigue, romance, and droll humor. Couple all this with some very good acting and direction, and one has a must-see period piece. It is historical fiction brought to life.
Based loosely upon the novels of Baroness Orczy, the Scarlet Pimpernel is the hero of beleaguered eighteenth century French aristocrats. The Scarlet Pimpernel dedicates himself to rescuing aristocrats that, in the Republic of the post-revolution era, are destined to lose their heads in the feeding frenzy engendered by the minions of Robespierre. Just who the Scarlet Pimpernel is, the French have not a clue, other than he is believed to be an Englishman. The viewer, however, is on the secret of his identity from the very beginning.
Anthony Andrews plays the extremely foppish dandy, Sir Percy Blakeney, who is about as blue blooded as one can be and live. He is also the wealthiest man in all of England. Given to amusing his fellow aristocrats with bons mots, he also devises entertaining rhyming couplets about the Scarlet Pimpernel. Speaking in a highly affected voice and sporting the latest in fashionable attire, Sir Percy is a seemingly unlikely action hero. Yet, it is he who rescues those who are destined to lose their heads to the dreaded guillotine. It is he who is the Scarlet Pimpernel.
Since the Scarlet Pimpernel is putting a crimp into the post-revolution blood bath, the feared Chauvelin (Ian McKellen), an ardent revolutionist and hatchet man for Robespierre, seeks to capture him. Chauvelin has a soft side, however, as he is profoundly in love with Marguerite St. Just (Jane Seymour), the premier actress of France and one of its most celebrated beauties. Unfortunately for him, however, Sir Percy has just met Marguerite and been smitten. When Sir Percy romantically woos and wins the heart of Marguerite, she consents to marry him, not knowing that he is the Scarlet Pimpernel. When she marries Sir Percy, Chauvelin stops at nothing to exact his revenge, and his actions eventually cause a rift in the marriage.
What happens to Sir Percy, Marguerite, and Chauvelin is well worth seeing. Anthony Andrews is utterly charming, romantic, and drolly funny in his dual role as the dandified fop/dashing action hero who is in love with the prettiest girl in town. Jane Seymour is perfect as the beautiful thespian who captures the heart of a wealthy aristocrat, only to find, in the end, that she has married a romantic hero. Ian McKellen is effective as the angst ridden Chauvelin, who has had his heart pierced by Cupid's arrow.
This is a wonderful film. Now, having seen it on video, I am eagerly awaiting its release on DVD, so as to add it to my personal collection. It is a film that one can enjoy watching again and again.

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The Man Who Came to Dinner (2000) Review

The Man Who Came to Dinner  (2000)
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Very enjoyable staging of Kaufman and Hart play. Nathan Lane and Jean Smart, as you would expect, squeeze every possible laugh from their lines. They're wonderful.
One caveat: The play is filled with quick references to personalities of the period (the 1930s), and most of that might go right over some people's heads. But much of the comedy is timeless, so everyone is bound to enjoy it in the end.
There is more to this DVD than a previous reviewer would have you believe, but only a bit more. In the intermissions, there are some descriptions of the characters and whom they are based on. And there is an enjoyable segment with Kaufman's daughter and Hart's wife (the eternally graceful and charming Kitty Carlisle). The banter between Liam Neeson and Natasha Richardson in these segments is weak, however. Essentially you're getting exactly the same thing you would have seen when this was broadcast.
We're fortunate to have had this performance captured on film, and I hope there will be more of the same.

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One of the most beloved American comedies comes to sparkling life in this fast-paced, stylish production starring Tony Award-winning Broadway favorite Nathan Lane (The Producers) and Jean Smart ("Designing Women")! While dining at the midwestern home of the prominent Stanley family, noted critic and social celebrity Sheridan Whiteside slips on their doorstep and injures his hip, leaving the city slicker confined to the house for an outrageous six week recovery period which leads to cockroach farms, an octopus in the cellar, a dinner party with ex-convicts, "The Penguin" and more madcap mayhem! Written by the classic comedy team of Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman, this razor sharp farce remains pointed and side-splitting today. Pull up a few extra chairs and invite some guests for dinner and a show; the fun is about to begin!

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Acting Shakespeare (1982) Review

Acting Shakespeare (1982)
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I saw this video in my high school British Lit. class in 1986 and was mesmerized. I was not a particular fan of Shakespeare at the time, was in fact one of those kids who found Shakespeare mostly boring and irrelevant, but this turned me on to all that Shakespeare can be and why he has remained popular for so long. I have been a huge fan of Ian McKellan ever since; he is superb in this. I have been looking for this video for years, checking McKellan's website, ebay and everywhere I could think of, so I was so excited when I googled the title today, and found it on Amazon! I cannot recommend McKellan's _Acting Shakespeare_ highly enough. It remains, in my memory, the best theatre -- Shakespeare or otherwise -- that I have ever seen. It is just Ian McKellan on a bare stage, no props or costumes as far as I remember, performing monologues from several Shakespearian plays and commenting on the plays and characters and how he approaches them. The simplicity is perhaps part of what makes this so beautifully done.As it hasn't been released yet, I cannot comment on the technical quality of the sound or video. My hope is that the reason they took so long to release it is because they were picky about getting the audio and video quality right. Anyway, it is superb.

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A masterful tour de force from "one of the most distinguished performers of his generation" (The New York Times).
Alone on stage, without props or costumes, Ian McKellen performs some of Shakespeare\'s most striking monologues and offers his own personal anecdotes about life in the theater. From Henry VI to Macbeth, McKellen demonstrates the incredible universality of Shakespeare\'s plays with wit and humor – skillfully revealing the actor behind the writer in this celebrated one-man show.
Produced by Andrew Susskind and presented at the CBS Broadcast Center in New York City.
Also includes an 8-page booklet with reflections by Ian McKellen.

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11/28/2011

Small Steps: Creating the High School for Contemporary Arts (2007) Review

Small Steps: Creating the High School for Contemporary Arts (2007)
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Small Steps is an inspiring documentary about the struggles of the creation of an alternative high school within a large urban high school in NYC. We need more of these places, where kids count.

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This film follows students, staff and parents through the first four years of the High School for Contemporary Arts, an experimental "small school" housed within one of the most dangerous schools in the Bronx.

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A Touch of the Poet (Broadway Theatre Archive) (1974) Review

A Touch of the Poet (Broadway Theatre Archive) (1974)
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"A Touch Of The Poet" is probably the best O'Neill play you've never seen or read, and so it is fortunate that this production has been preserved by the Broadway Theatre Archive. The two leads, Roberta Maxwell and Fritz Weaver, are amazing, and Nancy Marchand is splendid as the passively adoring and long-suffering wife. The story, which is set in the era of the rise of Andrew Jackson, has a startlingly contemporary feel, evoking both the immigrant experience as well as the rise of the American industrial society. An amazing work, the only completed play in what O'Neill's planned as an eleven play cycle. Buy this, and enjoy.

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Tony Award-winner Fritz Weaver and Emmy-winner Nancy Marchand (Livia in The Sopranos)star in Eugene O'Neill's "A Touch of the Poet." Set in a shabby tavern outside Boston in 1828, the play centers on Cornelius Melody (Weaver), a proud Irishman who clings to memories of European gentility. The play was conceived by O'Neill - regarded by many as America's greatest dramatist - as part of a nine-play chronicle spanning 175 years in the life of an American family. LIke other O'Neill works such as "A Moon for the Misbegotten" and "Long Day's Journey into Night," this play explores it's characters' conflicts with reality and illusion, as well as their joys and sorrows in love.

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The Patriots (Broadway Theatre Archive) Review

The Patriots (Broadway Theatre Archive)
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Here's a little-known gem from 1976.
"The Patriots" tells the tale of a struggling, post-Revolution America from Thomas Jefferson's point of view. Easily on a par with the more famous musical "1776", this serious drama outlines Jefferson's conflict with the philosphy of Alexander Hamilton (Philip LeStrange).
The performances are top notch, especially Jefferson (Robert Murch) and Washington (Ralph Clanton). Both forefathers spring to life under the steady hands of the actors who portray them. You'll be hard pressed to find a better or more memorable portrayal of these two men once you sample "The Patriots". Madison, Monroe and Hamilton also become real human beings, in place of the marble statuary we are so used to.
Also of note is the accurate depiction of the little-known danger facing the young American nation in the 1780's-90's, as forces conspire to impose a monarchy and dissolve the Constitution. Jefferson helped to stem the tide, and his role in that conflict is ably demonstrated here.
There is some minor television-acceptable cursing, but nothing kids can't handle today. Kids ought to watch this anyway, as it makes history come alive in ways that books sometimes cannot.
The transfer here is excellent, so you won't suffer the common video errors from some poorer transfers to DVD. If you like Jefferson, Revolutionary Era history, or just good theatre, this one's a keeper.

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This play is a "gutsy, real look" at the bitter discord between Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton in the early days of the Republic (New York Post). The play focuses on the conflict between the political and social goals of these two brilliant men: Jefferson, the far-sighted, egalitarian-minded democrat; and Hamilton, the short-tempered federalist with limited faith in the common man. Robert Murch, Phillip LeStrange.

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An Evening with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (1986) Review

An Evening with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (1986)
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As a dancer I admirer companies such as the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and to be able to veiw the companies greatest pices of work when ever I want to is wonderful. It is also a special treat to see the dacers dance when the company really made a name for itself, when everyone was able to see the work of Mr. Ailey. My two most favorite pieces Cry and Revelations are what I call masterpieces and when I veiw them I feel the same spirit as if Ailey was there with me.

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In this brilliant studio recording, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, the country's boldest and most exciting dance company, brings its distinctive style home to you--dazzling, brash and dynamic, yet graceful and poetic. Included on this DVD are two stunning dance pieces. "Diving" was Judith Jamison's first major work as a choreographer for Alvin Ailey. The dance evokes a strong feeling for African tribal ritual and is set to hauntingly rhythmic drum music. "Revelations" expresses Ailey's intense feelings for his roots in the South. Here you'll see Ailey's vivid "blood memories"of the blues, spirituals, gospel music, ragtime and folk songs, as well as the hard life of the Southern black during the Depression. 61 minutes.

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Edward & Mrs. Simpson (1980) Review

Edward and Mrs. Simpson (1980)
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This production, in my view, is one of the glories of Masterpiece Theater. The acting is excellent, from the leads to the extras. The story is fascinating, especially if you like peeking at the lives of royalty and the upper crust. Every pound Thames Television put into the show is visible; the settings are authentic or look it; the costumes appear bespoke, as they say; and everyone's manners are immaculate, even if what they do isn't.
It's the story of the affair between Edward, Prince of Wales, later Edward VIII, and Wallis Warfield Simpson, an American twice-married divorcee. It starts just before he meets her and ends shortly after he abdicates the British throne to marry "the woman I love." He became the Duke of Windsor and she his Duchess. It was probably the biggest story of its time. The program runs for six 60 minute installments. Because of the style, the acting and the story of these two people, who are so self-indulgent and so obtuse (on his part) and so calculating and brittle (on her part), it never seems boring.
Edward, played by Edward Fox, is a man of great charm and handsome appearance, a man girls swoon over and men wish to be like. He's also privileged, unselfconsciously selfish and not really too bright. He's a man who seems most comfortable with older women, women who can cosset and coo over him. His mistresses have all been older and married. Edward Fox, a fine actor, is wonderful in the part. (For those who might not recognize his name, he was the Jackal in The Day of the Jackal). Wallis, played by Cynthia Harris, is a woman who can seem hard and even scheming, but who also has some vulnerability about her that makes her at least somewhat sympathetic.
Among the fine cast is Nigel Hawthorne as Walter Monckton, one of Edward's loyal but realistic counsellors; Cherie Lunghi as Lady Thelma Furness, a mistress Edward casts off by simply telling his switchboard not to accept anymore of her calls; David Waller as Stanley Baldwin, the shrewd prime minister; and Jessie Mathews as Wallis' Aunt Bessie Merryman, all pink and plump and powdered...and keen-eyed. (Mathews in the Thirties was the toast of the London stage, singing and dancing in a number of musicals. She introduced Rodgers and Hart's "Dancing on the Ceiling.")
If you like Masterpiece Theater or similar shows, I think you'll like this program very much. The DVD picture is very good. Unfortunately, there is only one extra, A&E's Biography of Wallis Simpson. Not even any cast bios.

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On the evening of December 11, 1936, England's King Edward VIII formally broadcast his farewell to a nation. Torn between duty and love, he had decided to follow his heart. A powerful fairytale made all the more compelling because it actually happened, EDWARD & MRS. SIMPSON captures the unforgettable romance that develops between the Prince of Wales and an extraordinary American woman named Wallis Simpson. That she is already married and believed to have had previous affairs ruffles more than a few feathers. The scandal heats up when the Prince becomes King and declares his intention to marry his mistress, who has since divorced and become quite available. A critically acclaimed British mini-series from 1978 finally available on DVD, EDWARD & MRS. SIMPSON features seven episodes shot in sumptuous period detail and stars Edward Fox (Gandhi, A Passage to India) and Cynthia Harris (Mad About You, Three Men and a Baby). DVD Features: "Wallis Simpson" Episode From A&E's Award-Winning Series BIOGRAPHY; Interactive Menus; Scene Selection

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11/27/2011

Mother Goose Rock N Rhyme (1990) Review

Mother Goose Rock N Rhyme  (1990)
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The first time I ever saw this movie was on the Disney channel when I was about 11 or 12 years old and ever since then I have been in love with it and all the endearing even sometimes annoying rhymeland characters. The story is basically simple Mother Goose played so delightfully by Jean Stapleton has suddenly disappeared from rhymeland and it is up to her uptight son played to perfection by Dan Gilroy and Little Bo Peep played Shelly Duvall who was made for the part to find her and bring her back before everyone in rhymeland disappears and mother gooses's rhymes become nothing but a mere illusion. It shows all the hilarious struggles and complications Bo Peep and Gordon have to go through to find her and all the crazy characters they meet on the way. The sets are bright, colorful, and very creative as are the costumes and makeup and while the special effects are not very realisitic and corny the great script and amazing humor make up for it. This movie just about has any star in the movie and music business you can think of including Woody Harrelson as the lamb from Mary had a little lamb, Little Richard as the party loving Old King Cole, Ben Vereen as Itsy Bitsy Spider, and the musical trio ZZ Top as The Three Men in the Tub which was pure genius putting them in that role. This movie is amazing and although it may seem corny and even childish at times it still proves to be funny, endearing and magical and I promise if you watch it, it will make you feel like a kid again.

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Recording "The Producers" - A Musical Romp with Mel Brooks (2001) Review

Recording The Producers - A Musical Romp with Mel Brooks (2001)
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Originally shown on PBS, this is a documentary of the recording of "The Producers" cast album. "The Producers," the hit Broadway show that made a sweep at the Tony's, and continues to do so at the box office, has a lot of funny people involved - Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick, and Mel Brooks - and this movie captures them in some candid moment. Fortunately, the editors are not the MTV music video-type; we get to see whole songs being recorded, which is often not the case in these behind-the-scenes videos. Many songs are included, as well as interviews with Mel Brooks, who talks about how the show came about, the plot, and the cast members. One can see what a warm person Brooks is. And for those who cannot afford tickets to the Broadway show, or have to wait for months for availability, this is the next best thing. This video contains footage of Broderick doing a Marlon Brando impression, Susan Stroman praising the cast members, and more. We also get to see Lane getting a little nervous in the recording studio - at one point, he complains of not being able to hear himself, and gets snippy (or is he just being funny?) with a woman working the equipment. An extremely enlightening look at the hectic recording (Mr. Brooks keeps remarking, astonished, "I can't believe we only get one day" - every hour of overtime means thousands of more dollars) of a cast album.

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The exuberant atmosphere of the Broadway blockbuster is captured in "Recording The Producers: A Musical Romp with Mel Brooks," a new 85-minute film from the Emmy Award-winning director Susan Froemke and Maysles Films. The documentary candidly captures the excitement of translating the show into a complete experience for the recording's audience.

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